Chaos looms in battle for the Brasileiro TV rights

The TV rights for the next three years of the Campeonato Brasileiro are up for grabs. Traditionally, TV Globo, the country’s largest broadcaster, has had little opposition. But with the emergence of Record, there is now real competition for the rights of the Brazilian national league.

Globo’s contract with the clubs comes to an end this year.

On Thursday, the Clube dos 13 (club of 13) – the organization that has negotiated with the TV stations in Brazil since 1987 – contacted Globo, Bandeirantes, Record, SBT, RedeTV asking them to put their bid for the rights to the Brasileiro in a sealed envelope, which will be opened on 11 March. The winning bid will be announced the same day – the rights include ‘free to air TV’, cable, international, internet and marketing.

Record are rumoured to be offering around RS$600 million for the three-year contract. It is believed that Globo paid RS$250 million for their current deal.

On Friday evening, TV Globo said that they will refuse to make a bid to the Clube dos 13 for the rights and declared that they want to negotiate directly with the clubs.

Globo have long been the dominant force in Brazil. But Record now have the financial muscle to challenge them – Record getting the Olympic rights was a massive coup.

Behind the scenes, politics will play a big part. Globo have the backing of the Brazilian Football Confederation and its president, Ricardo Texeira.

Earlier this week, Flamengo and Corinthians, Brazil’s best supported clubs, announced that they were leaving the Clube dos 13. The clubs assert that they should get a much bigger share of the TV revenue and believe they can do this by negotiating their own deal. Fluminense, Botafogo, Vasco and Coritiba followed suit.

The broadcasters are well aware that the key to everything is getting Flamengo and Corinthians on board as they are by far and away the biggest draw on television. Whoever does this will win the day.

A possibility exists that the TV rights could be split amongst the different bidders with one broadcaster getting the domestic rights, another the international, another the internet etc.

A new league is also a growing possibility. It appears unlikely that Globo will match Record’s bid but might opt to go for the biggest clubs offering them more money to take part in a smaller championship.

Competition is always good. I receive Globo up here in the Boston area so I hope they will prevail but in the end, just like with many of the american sports, there will be a split in the telecasts. There is plenty of Brazilian futebol to go around for more than one network.

twelve teams (including Brazil’s biggest clubs – Corinthians and Flamengo) have signed up with TV Globo for the next four years.
but the situation is far from resolved. their could be a new league. the sides that have not signed with Globo may sign for another television company. there may also be some legal action taken over the rights

8.pitacodogringo | October 27, 2011 at 18:51

Just to let you all know: all the big sides have signed up with TV Globo for the next four seasons (starting 2012) so coverage of the Brasileirão will continue unimpeded